Research has shown that at-risk youth become more motivated when they are placed in a learner-centred environment. The same research states that “The critical features of schools with a learner-centred environment are identified within three major domains: teacher-student relationships and classroom climate; curriculum, instruction and assessment; and school and classroom management”. Put simply, education should be designed to meet the needs of the students.

As teachers, we must incorporate social and emotional learning into our lessons. Schools no longer need to focus on teaching content in today’s society where information is constantly available. Lessons should instead focus on developing critical thinking and self awareness.

One means of doing this is by utilizing multi-literacies within the classroom. Many of our students’s lives won’t involve reading books every day, but they will very likely involve using websites and watching online videos. To keep our teaching relevant, these formats must be used in the classroom. Education has to be relevant to the students, and utilizing the forms of information that the students are most comfortable with is crucial to keeping them interested.